Sandra Bullock auctions BMW for Brad Pitt's charity

Sandra Bullock auctions off a BMW i3 electric car at a New Orleans benefit for Make It Right, the charity founded by Brad Pitt(Photo: Chris Woodyard/USA TODAY)

BMW had found yet another market for its newfangled electric city car: celebrity-driven charity auctions.

The automaker says it donated an i3 electric car to actor Brad Pitt's Make It Right charity. The charity builds environmentally sound homes and buildings, so an electric car is a natural fit. The car, worth $55,000, was auctioned off by Sandra Bullock on Saturday night in New Orleans.

Make It Right was founded in 2007 by Pitt, who had become alarmed at the lack of rebuilding in the Lower Ninth Ward section of New Orleans after Hurricane Katrina. The charity has gone on to create housing projects in other cities, such as Newark and Kansas City, according to its website.

BMW strived to make the i3 as "green" as possible. The carbon fiber for its body is made at a plant that depends a lot on hydroelectric power. The car uses a lot of natural materials, like eucalyptus, plant fibers and olive leaf extract.